Mechanical musical instrument



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. MoTAMMANY, Jr.

Mechanical Musical Instrument.

No.. 244,069. Patented July 12, 1881..

(No Model.)

J. McTAMMANY, Jr. Mechanical Musical Instrument.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented July 12, 1881.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MOTAMMANY, JR, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ALEXANDERMOTAMMANY, OF AKRON, OHIO.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 244,069, dated July 12,1881.

Application filed March 23, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom a may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN MGTAMMANY, J r., of Cambridge, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvementsin Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to selfplaying musical instruments; and itconsists in the con- IO struction and combination of parts hereinafterset forth.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure 1, aplan of the reedcells, in Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. 3 a

longitudinal section, of a musical instrument embodying my improvements;Fig. 4, plan of guide-frame and feed-rolls.

In the drawings above mentioned, A represents the case of my presentinstrument as a square boX open at bottom and covered by a flat top, B,the greater part of the interior of the boxbein g occupied by thepressure-bellows, which are supported by the top of the box, the mainbellows or air-reservoir being shown at G as hinged at front to thefront part of the top, and the pair of auxiliary bellows or feeders at DD as arranged below the first, and hinged at their rear ends to the rearend of such main bellows.

The reed-board and reeds occupy the front upper portion of the interiorof the box A, and are screwed to the top B of the latter, the reed-boardbeing shown at E, its reed cells or tubes at a a, &c., and its reeds atb b. The arrangement of the reed-cells and reeds is peculiar-that is tosay, in lieu of securing the reeds to a board or wall which constitutesone side or boundary of the reed-cells and permits the reed to beinserted in'only one position, I place the reeds midway of the cells andsupport them in grooves 0 0, 850., formed in opposite sides of suchcells. By this means the tongue of the reed has free play in eitherdirection, and the reed may be inserted with its tongue to the front orrear, as ample room is provided for passage of the pin or screw :0 whichconfines the tongue to the reed and in whichever position the reed maybe inserted.

To permit the reeds to be reversed in posigo tion, as stated, or topermit access to be readily had to them for other purposes, 1 create inthe upper edge of the reed-board a double rabbet, (Z c, the upper one,(I, being small and including the upper edges of the reeds and perhaps asmall portion in front of the latter, and 5 5 the lower part, a, beinglarger and surrounding the portions of the mouths of the reedcells inrear of the reeds, together with a portion of the reed-board sufficientto permit of insertion of screws by which the coveringplate is securedto such reed-board. This covering-plate is shown at f as adapted to iillthe rabbet d c and be flush with the top of the reed-board, its functionbeing to retain the reeds in place and cover the rear parts of themonths of the reed-cells, the front parts of such mouths being open,except when covered by the intact portion of the valve-sheet, whichsheet is shown at g in the drawings. The sheet 9 is fed along as itfills its office of covering and uncovering the reed-cells byfeed-rollers, one or both of which may have an elastic periphery, thelower one of such rollers being shown in the drawings at has affixed toor making part of a horizontal shaft, 2', disposed in rear of the platef and parallel with the range of reeds, and mounted in uprights 7c 7;,erected upon the ends of the reed-board, these uprights bein g composedof rawhide, in order to prevent breakage and reduce friction betweenthemselves and the shaft, and to prevent rattle and noise, to which manyother bearings are liable. Each end of the shafti is fash ioned into acrank, l, to which one end of a ;)it1nan,m,is pivoted, the opposite endsof these pitmen being pivoted to the free ends of the lower boards, a n,of the auxiliary bellows, and these pitmen are composed of rawhide, toperform the functions and secure the advantages attending the rawhideuprights k.

The upper feed-roll, or, more properly speaking, the presser-roll, whichholds the valvesheet in contact with the feed-roll h, is shown at o asjournaled at one or both ends in a vertical slide or box, 1), whichplays in a channel, 9 5 q, in the inner edge of one of two parallel barsor rails, r 1', which constitute the sides of an open frame, F, which isdisposed upon the top of the case A, the end bars of such frame be ingshown at s s respectively, the frame being I00 hinged at or to the topof the casein any suitable manner, but in the present instance beingsupported upon a rod or wire, 27, which passes through it and into postsa a erected upon the rear post of the said case-top.

To provide a spring-pressure for the roll 0, in order to insure auniform pressure of such roll upon the feed-roll or upon the music-sheetwhen the latter is introduced between them, I place over each slidingbearing p a platespring, n, such spring being secured at one or bothends to the top of the frame F and exerting its stress upon the rollbelow.

In lieu of mounting the journals of the roll 0 in slides in a hingedframe, or otherwise in a hinged frame, I have in some instances mountedthem each directly in the ends of an elastic arm or spring, the base ofwhich is secured permanently to the top of the instrument; or thejournals of the roll may be supported in hearings in upright slottedstandards erected upon the top of the case with a spiral spring placedover such boxes, and depressing them toward the lower roll.

Gin the drawings represents one or more rib projections erected abovethe surface of the top or cover B of the instrument-case, and arrangedbetween the side rails of the frame F, and at right angles to thelatter, the purpose of the rib or ribs being to raise the musicsheetabove the joint between the frame and top at one or more points, andthereby prevent danger of the music-sheet being caught in such joint orbetween the frame and top when such frame is lowered, as well as togreatly facilitate the introduction of the end of the music-sheet.

To enable the music-sheet g to perform the office of a valve to thereed-openin gs, I employ a yielding presser-bar, (shown at H in thedrawings,) adapted to rest over the entire range of such reed-openings,this bar being mounted in the front end of the frame F, and depressedtoward the reed-board, when the frame is locked to the top of the case,by sprin gs w 20, introduced between the presser-bar and frame, theentire separation of the two being prevented by screws, the heads ofwhich overlap the lower edge of said presser-bar.

To permit of free escape of air from anyone or number of the reed-cellson the arrival opposite them of the apertures in the musicsheet, Icreate in the presser-bar a range of holes, 00 w, &c., corresponding tothe open portions of the mouths of such cells-that is, the portion notclosed by the covering-plate f. When one or more of the holes of thepresserbar and of the traveling music-sheet unite to open one or more ofthe reed-openings the reed of such opening by outward passage of airfrom the pressure-bellows is sounded and a musical note produced. Atother times the In lieu of hingiug the frame F to the top of the case,at one end, as stated, it may be hinged at its side, but I prefer theformer.

To confine the front end or one side of the frame F, as the case may be,securely to the top of the case, and with pressure upon the valvesheet,I affix to the adjacent part of the instrument two or more springs,latches, or catches, y y, the upper or free ends of which areperforated, and operate with pins a a projecting from the frame in suchmanner that as the frame is lowered to place the catches snap over andengage the pin. This form of catch may be raised by employing aspring-bolt placed upon the top of the frame and operating with a claspsecured to the instrumentcase with good results.

The frame F may be adapted to lift entirely out of the instrument, inlieu of being hinged to it; but the latter method is the most desirable.

This application shows the subject-matter of several claims which areincluded in a prior application now pending before the United StatesPatent Office,the presence of said subject-matter being indispensable toa correct understanding of the improvements which are claimed in thiscase. Accordingly, nothing herein shown or described, but not claimed,is to be regarded as in any sense abandoned or dedicated to the public.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The covering-plate f, adapted to confine the reeds in place, andcovering a portion of no the reed-cells outside of or in front of thereed. 2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the rib or erection G, incombination with the frame F and the top of the case.

3. The rawhide supports or bearings It for the shaft of a musicalinstrument.

at. The combination, with the frame F, of the pressure-roll 0, slides 11p, and springs 12 c. 5. In a musical instrument, the pitmen m m,composed of rawhide.

J. MoTAllIMANY, JR. WVitnesses:

F. CURTIS, H. E. LODGE.

IIS

